


The Boys Between The Pages

by KorruptBrekker



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, M/M, not beta read we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-11
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:46:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 12,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24579256
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KorruptBrekker/pseuds/KorruptBrekker
Summary: Virgil is struggling in his required classes and, with the help of his good friend Patton, gets a tutor. The two have somewhat of a rocky start, but friendship soon blossoms. Or is it something more?
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders/Logic | Logan Sanders
Comments: 6
Kudos: 68





	1. Virgil

Virgil hesitantly made his way to the front desk. Or rather, he was dragged there by his friend Patton.

“It’ll be okay, buddy. I promise. Look on the bright side! You get to make a new friend!”

“Yeah. Awesome.” Virgil muttered, tugging on his jacket. It was one of the ways he dealt with the constant feelings of impending doom he experienced due to his anxiety.

“Go get ‘em tiger!” Patton beamed.

Virgil nodded, cringing at Patton’s volume. Even in a library, his volume at a 10.

“I’ll be waiting for you when you’re done!” He pulled Virgil in for a hug, squeezing so tightly Virgil felt as if his organs were being rearranged.

He hugged slightly back, “Thanks Pat. You’re the best.”

“I love you too!” Patton smiled encouragingly and bounced off.

Virgil sighed. “It’s just an hour. You can do this.” He made his way to the second story of the library, where all of the nonfiction books were, along with the study wing--a quarter of the second floor sectioned off for desks and cubicles, each housing a computer. Virgil checked his email from his phone, looking for the cubicle number his tutor had given him. Cubicle eight.  
He shuffled down to the cubicle to find someone already there, reading a substantially thick book. He had his hair pushed back, working well with his widow’s peak. He wore a black polo shirt, striped blue tie, tan slacks, and brown dress shoes. Everything from the seams in his slacks to his clunky glasses to his hairstyle was immaculate. This person was the living embodiment of the word “nerd.”

“He-”

“Take a seat.” The nerd interrupted, not looking up from his book.

“O-okay.” Virgil sat down awkwardly, setting his backpack down and fiddling at the aesthetic stitches he’d added to his jacket.

“You’re Virgil I assume?”

He nodded.

“As in, the character from Inferno, the poem written by Dante Alighieri?”

“I-uhm-yeah. Actually. You’re the first person who’s gotten that.”

“Hm. A shame. Any decently intelligent person has read Inferno.” He had a crisp way of talking, annunciating his consonants, as if from an earlier era.

“Glad to know I’m disappointing you already and we haven’t even started.” Muttered Virgil, not loud enough for Logan to hear, shrinking into his jacket.

“Judging by your reaction to my comment, you haven’t read it I presume.”  
Virgil’s silence was a confirmation in and of itself.

“Of course you haven’t. I’m surrounded by inferiority.”

“Can we just get to the lesson?” Virgil asked, an edge in his voice. His tutor practically calling him stupid was not a good start to their weeks to come.

He sighed. “May. The correct way to phrase it is “May we just get to the lesson.” And, yes of course. I’m Logan, by the way. Not that you bothered to ask, but I know you knowing my name will come in handy eventually, and so I figured I’d give it to you now rather than wait an eternity for you to work up the courage to ask for it yourself.”

“MAY we get to the lesson then, LOGAN?” Virgil said, glaring at him, reminding himself that he had only an hour--less than now that they’d been talking--until their time was finished.

Just get through the 50 minutes Virge. You can do this. Do it for Patton.

“Of course, Virgil.” He said with a clearly practiced smile. “Pull out your notes and textbook and let us begin.”

* * *

Once they were on the same page, Logan wasn’t so bad. He was clear and concise and had a good way of explaining things. And though it was quickly established that he was far from patient, his explanations made it so that Virgil began to understand the material. Something he had never been able to do, even in high school. As Virgil finished up another math problem, Logan checked his calculator watch.

“That’s all the time we have for today Virgil. I must say, you’re smarter than I originally anticipated. You’ve picked up the material rather quickly, though this is only intermediate algebra, so I guess we’ll just have to see how you fare as the days go on. I expect to see you--same place, same time--tomorrow. Good evening.” Logan stood, picking up his satchel.

“Woah, woah, woah. Tomorrow? I thought this was a bi-weekly thing not an everyday thing.”

“Well, it’s more efficient to see you daily, so that I can learn your learning style and you can be done with tutoring as soon as possible. Don’t look so surprised, you made it very clear that here is the last place you’d like to be. And so, we shall meet daily as to reduce the amount of time you’ll need tutoring in the long run. Is that clear?”

Virgil sighed and nodded. “Yeah, teach.”

“Please, don’t. I’m by no means a teacher. Only a student who has nothing better to do than help those in need of helping. But if you insist on seeing me in that light, then you may call me Mr. Berry.”

Virgil sighed. If this is what all smart people are like I think I wanna stay stupid. “I’ll stick to Logan.”

Logan nodded in response. “See you in 23 hours.” He slung his satchel over his shoulder and walked off.

Virgil picked up his own bag, put on his headphones, and walked in the other direction. Patton wasn’t at the front area yet, and punctuality wasn’t his strong suit. Virgil took a seat on a bench, hugging his knees. He checked his phone to see if Patton had texted and was surprised when he was met with 8 missed calls and a few messages.

Dad🐶💙  
  
hey buddy ive been trying to call you forever! 😫  
  
i cant meet you after your lesson😩  
  
SO SO SO SO SO wish could but roman needs some comfort he had a hard day  
  
i PROMISE i’ll be there next time okay?  
  
maybe you can ride back to your dorm with your tutor??🤔 ILYSM ❤️❤️❤️❤️  
  


“Shit!” Virgil said, louder than intended. He cringed at the few dirty looks he was given and booked it back to the cubicles and down the direction that Logan went. He sprinted all the way through the study section and down a hallway and finally saw Logan making his way out the door. “Logan!” Virgil called, trying to catch up with him.

Logan turned, startled to see his pupil barreling down the hallway towards him. “Virgil? Is there something you need?”

Virgil stopped in front of him, hands on his knees, chest heaving. He wasn’t one for exercise and was thoroughly out of breath. “I.. One second… Let me catch my breath..” He panted. Logan waited impatiently, checking his watch every few seconds. Finally, when he regained his breath, Virgil explained, “My ride just cancelled on me. And I.. uh, I don’t feel safe walking to the dorms by myself. Can you drop me off..?” As he spoke, Virgil sunk into his jacket, embarrassed that he had to ask a near stranger for a ride home. Then his eyes widened as he began to think about the fact that if Logan said yes he’d be in a car with a complete stranger. Perhaps it would be better to just spend the night at the library. He’d find somewhere to hide so he wouldn’t be found when they closed up and he’d stay there until Patton woke up and could drive him back home.

Logan, seeing Virgil’s face grow steadily paler, sighed. “Alright. My car’s this way.”

Virgil hurried after Logan, panicking. He checked his phone and opened it up to the keypad. He would be able to dial 911 quickly if needed. Then, he pulled out his keys, sticking them in between his fingers, like Wolverine. If worst came to worst he could use the keys as blades in self defense. Logan got in the car and waited for Virgil.

Virgil hesitated, still thinking about how Logan could be a serial killer.

“If you don’t get in I’m up and leaving without you. I didn’t have to do this, and still have the privilege to revoke my answer.”

He sighed shakily and got in. “Okay.. Just, drop me off on the street. I know where my dorm is from the main road.”

Logan just nodded. They rode in silence. Virgil wanted desperately to fill it with music, but was too worried about his awareness being hindered to do so.

“I’m not going to kill you.” Logan finally said. “I know Patton; you can trust me.”

Virgil didn’t say anything.

“He and I grew up together. I’m assuming he didn’t mention this?”

“He just said he knew you were a great tutor, nothing more.” Virgil muttered.

“Well, I did help him all through elementary, middle, and high school. I still help him from time to time, though he doesn’t need my help much anymore, seeing as he’s not attending college as you and I are.”

“Oh.”

“ ‘Oh’ indeed.” Said Logan as he arrived at the dorms. “I’ll see you tomorrow."

Virgil shakily got out and nodded. He swiftly walked back to his dorm, going inside, locking the door, and immediately crashing onto the couch. It was only then that he realized he’d left his bag in Logan’s car. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to go to the next session.


	2. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Logan finds himself in a peculiar situation involving things he doesn't comprehend.

Logan frowned as he drove off. He wasn’t completely sure why he'd tried to comfort Virgil. He’d known the boy for only an hour and already he felt… something. Logan could never really explain his emotions. He’d spent a significant amount of energy shoving them away, that when they suddenly appeared, he didn’t know what to do with them. Logan shook his head slightly, took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. Easier to push away the bothersome emotions and focus on the important things. He turned on the radio, playing some of Tom Lehrer’s hits to clear his mind. He had more important things to worry about. Like studying. And reorganizing his bookshelf. And optimum sleep of course. One loses the ability to think rationally with lack of sleep. It was then that he spotted Virgil’s backpack.

“Of course. The boy was such an anxious mess, t’was a foolish oversight on my part to not have checked if he had everything in order before leaving. I suppose I’ll have to postpone the organization until tomorrow. A shame.”

He arrived at the dorms just as dusk was fading. He looked at the sky, feeling the calm sensation he always felt, knowing that night would soon come, and would bring his favourite hobby. Stargazing. Soon. Once he fixed this fiasco he’d have time for his study session and take to another look at Cassiopeia. Picking up the bag, and checking his phone, Logan made his way to Virgil’s dorm.

Knock knock knock

Logan wrapped cleanly on the door, and waited for Virgil, clasped hands reminiscent of a choir boy. Logan checked his watch. One minute. He knocked again. He checked his watch. Three minutes. Either Virgil wasn’t home, he was asleep--which isn’t the most improbable circumstance--or he was ignoring Logan altogether. Logan, now agitated that he’d been waiting for nearly five minutes waiting for this person to open the FREAKING DOOR, raised his hand to knock again, when it squeaked open a crack to reveal a disheveled Virgil.

“Logan..?” Virgil asked, his plum hair messily covering half his face, his complexion appearing extremely pale with the colour contrast. The hand he held on the door was clearly shaking, and his jaw was set. He seemed to be psyching himself up for an event, though Logan couldn’t think what of.

“Yes, I didn’t expect us to reunite this early either, and yet here we are.” He held out Virgil’s backpack, which had the same miscellaneous patches and stitching as his jacket. “You left this in my car. And frankly, I expect you to study before our next session; if I can prevent an excuse, I shall. And so, here. You have no excuse not to study the material.”

Virgil looked at Logan in surprise. “Oh.. Thanks..” He awkwardly reached for the bag with one hand, keeping the other noticeably behind his back.

“What are you hiding?”

Virgil froze. “What..?”

“You’re deliberately keeping one hand behind your back, even though it’s hindering your capabilities. Therefore, you are hiding something. What is it?”

“O-oh.. It’s nothing, don’t worry about it..” Virgil muttered, not meeting Logan’s gaze.

Logan’s curiosity grew in tandem with his agitation. “You are aware that all relationships are built on trust, are you not? This includes professional relationships such as boss/worker and student/teacher, or in this case student/tutor relationships. You trust that I am giving you the correct information, and I trust that you will actively follow my advice. Your keeping whatever object behind your back a secret is compromising this relationship.” 

Okay, maybe “compromising this relationship” was a bit exaggerative, but if it got him the knowledge he desired, what was the harm in being a bit over the top? Of course, there could be arguments made against this and that this could lead him into some sticky situations in the future, but this was one circumstance. An outlier. It wouldn’t be counted. Unless of course Logan made the decision to exaggerate details again as he did in this circumstance, which would lead to-

“I think you knowing what I’m hiding will ‘compromise the relationship’ even more..” Virgil interrupted, still staring at his laces.

Logan sighed in exasperation. “Virgil. I insist you show me what you’re hiding or I swear to you I will find out by force.” 

Logan supposed that was a bit harsh. He had a habit of fixating on the little details, and becoming obsessed with seemingly inconsequential events, circumstances, phrases, or numbers. It was an issue, one of the very few he possessed, and of which he was trying to navigate and lessen. Though, this conversation was proof enough that he wasn’t necessarily improving in that department.

Virgil’s eyes widened and he removed his hand from behind his back, revealing a chef’s knife, looking extremely guilty.

“Pray tell, Virgil, what the HELL are you hiding a kitchen knife from me for?” He was already going through multiple scenarios in which he could escape in case Virgil attacked him, nearly disregarding the fact that he may not have malice intent.

“I-I dunno.. I was worried you were gonna hurt me or something.. I don’t know you, after all.. And so, when you showed up at my doorstep, I panicked and brought my knife. Just in case you tried to hurt me..”

Logan nodded slowly, tossing around this new information. “Well, as I mentioned just a minute ago, all good relationships are built on trust. And clearly, you don’t trust me. So, please provide me with some way in which I can prove that I am trustworthy to you.”

“I.. uhm.. You could.. I dunno.. spend lunch with Patton and I.. Then I can check with him on the stuff you’re telling me to see if you’re telling me the truth..”

“You know, if I were actually acting with malice intent I would take the information of the motive you’ve just given me and find a way to manipulate Patton into playing along with my game.” Virgil’s face somehow went even paler, and Logan quickly held his hands up. “Of course, I would never dream of doing such a thing!” 'That’s more Janus’ idea of entertainment,' thought Logan. “I give you my word, I have no intent on hurting you or Patton, or anyone for that matter.”

Virgil stared at Logan apprehensively.

“Well, I don’t believe I can do much to convince you now, but I hope during our lunch that some mutual trust can be developed. Farewell, we shall schedule this outing via group chat.” Logan took out a business card and handed it to a still shaking Virgil. “There is my telephone number. If you must, double check with Patton, he has mine as well. I shall create a group wherein we can discuss the details of this outing.”

Virgil nodded, slipping the card into his pocket.

Logan nodded in return. “Well then. As I said: farewell.” He swiftly turned on his heel and walked back to his car, marveling at the whole situation that had just played out before him. Again, his immediate response to Virgil’s apprehension was to eliminate it. If he were any other student, Logan would have stopped tutoring them immediately, not wanting to deal with any emotion intermingling with work whatsoever. But there was something different about Virgil. It wasn’t anything Logan could pinpoint, and it wasn’t as if he wanted to either. That would involve delving into his emotions, which was too daunting a task for the time being. But either way, the fact was irrevocable. Something was different about Virgil, something that Logan was drawn to. The fact was both fascinating and terrifying.


	3. Virgil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Virgil, Patton, and Logan, have a platonic lunch date.

The lunch was scheduled for the coming Saturday. Which meant that Virgil had two more sessions to go to before he really got to know his tutor. He was always tense when he stepped into the study wing, and though he eased up slightly when they began to go through the material, he was still hypervigilant. He’d jump at every little sound, interrupting the lesson each time he did so. Logan offered to move to a different location, but the thought of that made Virgil even more terrified. Needless to say, the past two sessions were extremely tense, and quite unproductive.

Now, the day had finally arrived. He was waiting for Patton to pick him up, and as usual, he was late. After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Patton arrived. Virgil hopped into his car, already fiddling with his sweater, hood up for comfort.

“Oh, come on buddy! This’ll be fun!”

“If you say so.” Said Virgil, looking out the window anxiously.

“It’ll be okay. I promise.” Patton said, smiling at Virgil through the rear view mirror.

Virgil just nodded in response. And then they arrived.

Logan, as per usual, was sitting with his nose in a book. Virgil cautiously approached him, and was utterly shocked as Patton hugged him. Not that Patton hugging people was unusual, it was the fact that Logan had HUGGED BACK that had shocked Virgil. They really must have been friends

“So! I thought to make this more fun, we could do 20 Questions!”

“Fine by me.” Logan said in his crisp speech, putting away his book. “Who would like to begin?”

Virgil looked at Patton.

Patton shook his head, “No, Virge buddy. This is for you to get to know Logan. I’m just here to add more fun stories!”

Virgil sighed. Oh boy this was gonna be a train wreck. “So.. uh.. Logan. What’s your favourite colour?”

Logan raised an eyebrow, unimpressed for some reason. “Take a wild guess.”

Virgil glanced at his necktie, “Uh, blue?”

Logan nodded, “Very good. And yours is purple. It’s not difficult to deduce, seeing that everything that I've seen from you has some semblance of the colour incorporated into its design.”

Virgil stayed silent.

“And my question for you shall be, when were you diagnosed?”

“What?”

“You clearly suffer from an anxiety disorder, I’m operating under the impression that it’s Generalized Anxiety Disorder, or GAD. So, when were you diagnosed?”

Virgil hung his head, “Last year.” He hated talking about his anxiety. Having it made him feel like he was just a burden to others. He knew it wasn’t true, but just because you could identify a problem, doesn’t mean you could fix it immediately.

Logan nodded. “Alright. Thank you.”

“Why..?”

“The more I know about your disorder, the more I can do to healthily help you in your studies. If the way I’m teaching you is causing you anxiety, then that’s extremely counterproductive. I wouldn’t want to waste my energy on doing something easy and hindering. I’d much rather put more energy into a situation for a better, healthier result.”

“Thanks Lo..gan. Sorry, I tried to give you a nickname, but it just came off as kinda weird.”

Logan shook his head, the ghost of a smile on his face, “No, I don’t mind. Lo has a nice ring to it. And if it eases your anxiety around me, call me whatever you’d like. Within reason of course.”

Virgil nodded, smiling slightly, “Okay, Lo.”

“AWWWW SO CUTE!” Patton said, eyes twinkling. “You guys are ADORABLE!”

Virgil looked at Patton, “I appreciate it Patton, but I’ve known him for less than a week. It’s not like we’re dating.”

“Aww! But you guys would be so cute together!”

“This is a professional relationship! It would be weird!”

“Though not uncommon.. And, frankly, the idea isn’t entirely unpleasant..” Logan murmured.

Patton just barely heard and beamed, already planning something.

Virgil, having missed Logan's comment, rolled his eyes, “Just let it go, Pat. We’re not even really friends, what makes you think we’d start dating?”

Patton smiled mischievously, “Oh, nothing. Back to the questions! Virgil go!”

Virgil froze, “I-uhm-what’s your most embarrassing moment? Oh, wait, too personal, I’m sor-”

“Nope! No takebacksies! Logan, for his 18th birthday got a whole crate full of Crofters Jelly!”

Logan pinched his nose, “Patton why?”

“And then! And then and then and then! He loved it so much he spoke in jelly puns for the rest of the day!”

Logan cringed, “You really didn’t have to tell him that Patton.”

Virgil raised an eyebrow, “Jelly? Your pun kryptonite is JELLY?”

“Shut it.”

“OhmyGod, that’s amazing! I gotta bring some to one of our sessions just to see that in person!”

“Oooh! Take a video! I wanna see too!”

Logan sighed, trying to hide a smile. “Of course you two gang up on me. T’was just a matter of time, was it not?”

“You should have predicted this, Sherlock.” He teased.

“You know Sherlock wasn’t always-”

“FOOD’S HERE!” Patton exclaimed.

Virgil jumped about a foot, shaking from the sudden noise, “Jesus Patton. Warn me next time, okay?”  
Patton smiled sheepishly, “Sorry.”

Virgil shook his head, “It’s alright. I’m okay, just a friendly reminder.”

Patton nodded. “Okay! Now, FOOD!”

* * *

The rest of the afternoon went well. Virgil and Logan learned more about each other, and Patton helped keep the tension levels low. All in all, it wasn’t the lunch Virgil was dreading. It was so much better than he had originally anticipated. Hell, he was even excited for his next study session. It felt nice to have another friend. Patton was great, but his unending positivity could be exhausting sometimes. And, as a bonus, Logan was even nerdier than he was.

Virgil spent the rest of the night in his apartment, thinking about lunch. How fun it had been, how he’d like to do something like that again. And maybe, just maybe, it could be just him and Logan. With those pleasant thoughts from the afternoon, Virgil drifted into a dreamless sleep. And for the first time, in a long time, he felt a hint of confidence.


	4. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Logan avoids his feelings.

Logan sat, drumming his hands on the desk, waiting for Virgil to finish his problem. Logan watched as he worked counting all the times he brushed his plum fringe behind his ear. It was odd. Virgil was the exact opposite of someone who would be classified as attractive. The only bold things about him were his jacket and hair. Everything else about him was so insecure. His face wasn’t riddled with acne, but it wasn’t clear of it either. His fingernails were clearly gnawed down, and his undereye bags were very apparent against his porcelain skin. And yet, Logan could stare at him for hours. There were just things about him that kept Logan wrapt, not unlike how he felt when looking at constellations. The difference was, with Virgil, there wasn’t the calming stillness. There were the rapid palpitations of his heart, the way his stomach felt both light and as if it was twisting in on itself simultaneously.

Virgil bit his lip, fiddling with the stitches on his jacket. Logan mentally went through the checklist of how the body reacted when aroused. Still nothing. He’d been this way since he was young. All throughout high school, he heard boys talking about sex and masturbation, and everything that came along with such things, but Logan could never relate. Sure, his body could physically reproduce, but he never thought of copulation as anything other than scientific and something to further the species. All those feelings of pleasure that the other boys had talked about didn’t strike anything with Logan. He wasn’t repulsed by the act, but wasn’t fond of it either. It was as if the switch wasn’t flipped inside him.

After doing research, as he did to help clear up a situation, he'd discovered the word “asexual.” According to the Oxford Languages Dictionaries, it meant “without sexual feelings or associations.” That discovery had been a saving grace for Logan. There was a word for what he felt, or lack thereof, which meant he wasn’t broken. Though, just because one wasn’t “broken” did not mean one fell comfortably into society. Logan still checked whether he’d “become normal,” even though he knew full well that the idea of “normal” is a complete construct. And lately, he was feeling more abnormal than on average. He’d deduced his feelings towards Virgil were romantic, and frankly, he despised them. Emotions are not something that one understood. One could understand the basic meaning of an emotion, but when applying that to one’s actual emotions, definitions lost all their meaning. It was so much easier to shove them all away into a lockbox, never to be opened. But this one. This attraction towards Virgil, could not be so easily locked away. The more Logan tried to ignore it, the stronger it became. Soon enough, he’d just accepted the fact that he’d have to feel them. So, he took on the plan of feeling through this little, nonsensical crush, and then once it went away, things could go back to normal. But it hadn’t went away. Of course, it had only been a week and a half since his revelation about the way he was feeling, but surely that was enough time to work through one little crush. Surely-

“Earth to Logan Berry!” Virgil snapped in Logan's face repeatedly, shocking him back to reality.

“My apologies,” Logan said, adjusting his glasses and feeling his cheeks heat slightly. He’d gone on another thought tangent, and it had all started because he was staring at Virgil. Again. “Are you finished?”

“Yeah, I finished a few minutes ago. It’s five past 19:00, you typically end sessions on the dot. What’s gotten into you today?”

Logan picked up his satchel, calculating how much time it would take to drive home and how drastically thrown off his schedule would be. “I’ve just had a lot on my mind is all. A new project I’ve been working on.”

“Okay.” Virgil eyed Logan, the apprehension clear in his voice.

“Honestly, it’s nothing to worry about. Don’t you have a ride to catch?”

“Actually.. uh.. Patton cancelled on me again.. Can-may I get a ride with you?”

The corner of Logan’s mouth curved ever so slightly at Virgil’s grammar correction. “Yes, you may. Is Patton alright? This is the third time he cancelled this week.”

Virgil shrugged. “I dunno. He just keeps saying that Roman needs his help.”

“That’s odd, Roman was just fine the last time I checked.”

“And when was that?”

“A couple weeks ago.”

“A lot can change in a couple weeks.” Muttered Virgil as he slung his bag over one shoulder and began to walk to the exit.

Logan followed, noting Virgil’s odd change in delivery on his last comment. They both got into his car, and began the ride in silence.

“Mind if I put on some music?” Logan asked.

“What is it, classical?”

“Actually, it isn’t.”

“Oh?” Virgil looked at Logan, surpised.

“Classical music is comforting, when I’m in the mood. I am not currently in the mood. And so I ask you again, mind you if I play music?”

Virgil shook his head, “It’s your car, you can do what you want.”

Logan nodded and flipped to his favourites playlist. The first song that came on was One More Time With Feeling by Regina Spektor.

“Shit.” Logan muttered before quickly flipping to the next song. That being Letter C by Zach Sherwin.

“What was that?” Virgil asked, confused.

Logan shook his head, mortified that such an emotional song was the first on his playlist. He’d have to split it up so the mishap wouldn’t happen again. “It’s nothing, don’t worry about it.”

“But that was-”

“Don’t worry about it!”

Virgil’s eyes widened and he turned, curling up on the seat, looking out the window. His reflection in the glass was hurt.

Logan focused his eyes on the road, chastising himself for raising his voice. His temper had always been difficult to control, though this was the first time he’d yelled at Virgil. He knew full well how sensitive Virgil was to sensory input. That combined with the clear anger in his voice surely didn’t make the situation any better. The rest of the car ride was silent. Virgil didn’t say a word as he exited, leaving Logan alone with his thoughts. 

He arrived at his apartment, furious, that the whole rest of his evening had been thrown off by that interaction. He grit his teeth and slammed his fist into his wall. His wall took it well, not showing even a dent, though his knuckles couldn’t say the same. “Fuck!” He hissed, gripping his hand. He checked to see if anything was broken. Of course it wasn’t, but one couldn’t be too careful. Nothing broken, but definitely bruised. It should be better by morning. Though his mind would not heal as quickly.

That night, Logan couldn’t sleep. He spent some of the night stargazing, but when that didn't calm him down, he made a pot of coffee and got to work. After all, he’d missed his homework window. Best to make it up now when he had the time. And, as a bonus, the work kept him distracted. He couldn’t deal with any more nonsensical, useless emotions at the moment. And so he worked the night through. And when the sun finally rose, Logan collapsed--head on his arms, still sitting at his desk--into a much needed sleep.


	5. Virgil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Logan apologizes to Virgil.

Virgil was curled up in a ball on his bed, crying. He’d thought that he and Logan were getting along well. And then he had to be pushy and ruin everything. Thanks to him he’d lose both a friend and a resource. Good fucking job Virgil. He pulled his jacket closer, blasting I’m Not Okay (I Promise) by My Chemical Romance. He’d texted Patton as soon as he’d arrived in his apartment, and his friend was on his way. But until then, Virgil was alone. Maybe Patton wouldn’t come. Maybe he’d be left alone forever. Friendless because of a single comment he made. He’d lose everything because he couldn’t keep his fucking mouth shut. Maybe he should just leave now. If everything was going downhill, he might as well not even finish his education. He already had his high school diploma, he’d find a place to work. He’d find a way to survive.

Patton’s knock brought Virgil out of his spiral. They had devised a specific knocking pattern so that Virgil would know it was Patton to help ease his anxiety. Virgil wiped his face and nose on his jacket and opened the door. He was immediately tackled by Patton.

“Oh my gosh! Oh, I’m so sorry Virge, are you okay? Of course you’re not okay! I brought baking supplies, we can make cookies and talk about it, okay?”

Virgil nodded, crying again.

Patton pulled away from the hug and went to the kitchen, readying the supplies. “Do you wanna talk now or just start cooking?”

“We can talk now..”

Virgil proceeded to tell Patton everything that had happened, trying, and failing, to keep from spiraling. Patton reassured Virgil, and insisted that he’d talk to Logan and see how he felt. Patton told Virgil that everything would be okay, and soon enough, he started to feel better. Patton just had that magic. He knew exactly how to calm Virgil down. He couldn’t have asked for a better friend.

“Thanks Pat.” Virgil said, smiling at Patton.

“Don’t thank me yet, buddy. The cookies aren’t out yet. But you’re welcome anyway. Love you!” Patton hugged Virgil again.

Virgil smiled, hugging back. “Love you too, Pat. You’re the best.”

Patton beamed, “Aww thank you!”

Virgil squeezed Patton, then pulled away as the timer rang. “Moment of truth.” Virgil opened the oven and pulled out a perfect batch of chocolate chip cookies. “Damn, Pat! We did good this time!”

“Heck yeah we did!” Patton said bouncing up and down. “I just wanna eat them right now!”

“You and me both.” Virgil said, transferring the cookies to the cooling rack. “And now, the longest 10 minutes anyone has ever experienced.”

Patton laughed. “It’s not that long, it’ll be by in a jiffy!”

“Well, okay. Whatever you say.”

The rest of the night went well. Patton agreed to stay over to keep Virgil company. They ate the cookies and spent the rest of the night talking and joking. It was comforting to just have friend there when Virgil needed one. That night he slept well, belly full of cookies and mind clear for the first time in ages.

* * *

Virgil was nervously pacing his room, waiting for Logan to text him. He’d gotten a text from him a little while ago that he was going to apologize and had something planned. Virgil didn’t know what, and was freaking out about it. What if he fucked up again? 

Virgil began to spiral again, but Patton piped up just in time. “Logan’s here!” He sat, looking through the window, bouncing up and down.

Just then, Virgil got a text, confirming Patton’s exclamation. He took a deep breath and walked out to Logan’s car, fidgeting with his jacket. Logan motioned for Virgil to get in. Once he was in, Logan began to drive off.

“Where are we going?” Virgil asked, becoming more anxious by the second.

“A place that brings me comfort. Now, allow me to apologize. I overreacted the other day. I shouldn’t have raised my voice, but that’s in the past. For now, my mission is to make amends. And so,” Logan turned on the radio, and began to play One More Time With Feeling, “I want to do the moment over. It’s nonsensical, I’m aware, but it was all that I could think of that might help you comprehend how genuinely apologetic I am for my actions prior.”

Virgil smiled slightly, “This is the grandest apology I’ve received. Now, before we continue, I’d like to listen to the song.”

Logan nodded, letting the song run through, as the two sat listening to it.

“Logan? Are you alright?”

“Hm?”

“I mean, this sounds like a song that someone would put on if they wanted to give themselves permission to feel bad about themself. So, are you alright?”

“I’m.. I’m alright. I’m coping.”

Virgil’s eyes lingered on Logan before turning to the window, “Alright.. So, how long is it gonna take to get to where you’re taking me?”

“We’ve just about arrived.” Logan said as he drove along a trail. He arrived at a ledge on the mountainside and parked his car.

Holy shit. He’d gonna murder me. Virgil slowly exited the car, trying to calm himself down and think rationally about the situation. Then he spotted a telescope and a couple of chairs.

“I typically stargaze on the roof of my apartment building, but if I really want to clear my head, and get away from the moronic tendencies of society, I come here.” Logan explained.

“Why did you bring me here? This seems so personal..”

“Well, I figured that after my.. outburst, you’d spiralled. And so, I thought that bringing you here may have a similar effect that it has on me and calm you down.”

Virgil smiled slightly. “Well, I definitely spiralled. As for calming me down, I’ve never stargazed so I wouldn’t know.”

“Well, just look up.” Logan tilted his head back and gestured to the swath of stars above him.

Virgil did the same, immediately being hit with a wave of vertigo. He stumbled, leaning against a nearby rock for support.

“Are you alright?”

Virgil waved him off, “Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just.. so vast.”

Logan smiled. “Indeed it is. Why don’t you take a seat?”

Virgil nodded and made his way over to the telescope, sitting in one of the chairs. Logan sat down next to him, looking up at the expanse above them. Virgil did the same and felt his breath catch as he did. The sky was so clear, it felt as if everything would just fall away if he continued to stare into the sky. He couldn’t look away, but he needed something to tether him. He reached for Logan’s hand unknowingly, gripping it so hard his knuckles turned white.

“Virgil?” Logan asked, bringing Virgil back to Earth.

“Wha? Oh. Sorry.” Virgil immediately pulled his hand away, flushing.

Logan rubbed his own. “It’s quite alright. You have an iron grip is all. It isn’t the most pleasant thing to have your hand crushed  
by someone else’s.”

“Sorry.” Virgil apologized again, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

“Again, it’s alright.”

“Okay.”

“Alright.” Logan nodded, then turned to the telescope. “Now, allow me to show you around the neighborhood.”

Virgil smiled and sat as Logan gushed about the different stars and constellations. His voice had a different quality when he talked about the stars. It was as if he was finally at peace. It was soothing. By around 12 am, Virgil felt that fatigue of the past couple days hit hard. That combined with Logan’s voice, he couldn’t help but feel drowsy. As Logan looked through the telescope, talking about a constellation called Cassiopeia, Virgil rested his head on his shoulder.

Logan stopped mid sentence. “Virgil?”

“Keep talking.” Virgil muttered, closing his eyes. He finally felt at peace. Really at peace.

After a pause, Logan continued talking, and Virgil smiled, leaning fully against him. Eventually, he drifted off, dreaming of Logan and the stars.


	6. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Logan has a realization.

By the time Logan had finished telling the myth behind Cassiopeia, Virgil was sound asleep. Logan couldn’t help but smile at how peaceful he was. Then his eyes widened as he realized how he had to continue the outing. He could either stay up here with Virgil, making sure he feels safe, or find some way to get Virgil back in the car and drive him back to his dorm. Logan pulled out his phone and texted Patton.

Patton  
  
Virgil's asleep, and we're still on the ledge, what do I do?  
  
you cuddle with him silly! you guys are so cute together!💕💕  
  


He rolled his eyes, turning back to Virgil. He put his phone away and began to move to put away the telescope. Virgil grabbed his sleeve in protest. Logan, caught off guard, flushed slightly, then sighed. He shook him slightly, getting him to open his eyes. 

“Virge, we’re leaving now. You may get in the car and fall back asleep there.” Virge? Why did he just call Virgil Virge?

Virgil nodded, rubbing his eyes, and trudged back to the car. Logan quickly put up the chairs and telescope and joined him. He looked at Virgil, curled up in a ball in the passenger’s seat, asleep once more. Logan couldn’t help but smile and began the drive back to Virgil’s. The car ride was silent, but there was no tension this time. It was comforting. Being able to reflect in silence was something Logan valued, and never expected he’d be able to do so with company. Granted, his company wasn’t conscious, but even still.

Once they arrived, Logan looked at Virgil again. He was so comfortable, he didn’t want to disturb him. Logan sighed and nudged Virgil, unbuckling his seatbelt. “Come on, you’re home. Let’s get you into bed.” Why did he just do that? Virgil's not a child, he can take care of himself. But, some part of Logan wanted to take care of Virgil. Well, not necessarily take care of him, but be there for him.

Virgil nodded and walked to his dorm, Logan seeing him to it. He opened the door and walked inside. Logan was about to say his goodbyes, but Virgil beat him to it, “Can you.. uh.. stay…?”

“Pardon?”

Virgil seemed to shrink into his jacket, not meeting Logan’s eyes. “You’re.. you’re comforting.. So.. uh.. can you stay here tonight..?”

Logan’s eyebrows raised at the question. “I-um-sure. If it’ll help you.”

Woah, woah, woah, WHAT?! What have you just agreed to Logan? Him falling asleep next to you was intimate enough and now he asks you to stay over? And you say YES?! You’ve no idea what could happen! Of course, logically speaking, there’s a very small chance there’ll be any copulation, but even so. There is a chance, and that was a line you swore you would never cross.

Logan followed Virgil into his dorm, attempting to bring himself back to the present. No use worrying about situations that hadn’t happened yet. If something were to happen, he’d cross that bridge when he got to it. He followed Virgil to his room. Virgil got into bed and hesitantly patted the empty space next to him.

“Excuse me?”

“Can you.. sleep next to me..?”

“Of course, but I’m making it clear now that I will only do so if all that we do is sleep.”

Virgil’s eyes widened and his face went red, “What? O-of course! I-uh-I.. I wasn’t planning on doing anything..”

“Then I may rest easy knowing you won’t try to make any advances.”

Virgil stayed silent, face bright red from embarrassment. Logan awkwardly got into bed next to him, not knowing what to do next. He’d never been this close to someone before.

“So, do I just-”

“Shh.” Virgil interrupted, snuggling up to Logan’s chest.

Logan was speechless. This was DEFINITELY not something he’d done. He hesitantly wrapped his arm around Virgil. Virgil hummed slightly in response, falling asleep again against Logan. 

Logan, on the other hand was sure that the pounding of his own heart would wake Virgil. There was no way he’d be able to fall asleep now. This was too close. But, then again, it wasn’t. Logan felt an odd sense of comfort being with Virgil. After a few minutes, and a breathing exercise, Logan managed to calm his beating heart and racing head. Eventually, Logan fell asleep, too. The two slept soundly that night, grateful for each other’s company.

* * *

Logan groaned as his alarm--White & Nerdy by Weird Al Yankovic--blared in his room. Without opening his eyes, he felt around for his glasses. His nightstand wasn’t there. There was someone next to him. Virgil.

“Would you just turn that off already..” Virgil complained.

Logan opened his eyes, sitting up abruptly. “Virgil, where are my glasses?”

“Um, I dunno.. On the nightstand maybe..?”

“Virgil, I’m farsighted and everything in here is black. Not to mention so are my glasses. I can’t navigate it. So, either you drive me home so I can put on my contacts and attempt to make class on time or we find my fucking glasses. And may you turn off my phone whilst you’re at it?”

“O-okay.” Virgil said, turning off the alarm. He then shuffled over to what Logan assumed was the nightstand. After some shuffling, he walked back to his bed. “Logan, can you get off my bed..? I need to check the sheets.”

Logan sighed and nodded, standing at the edge of the room. Virgil sifted through the sheets, then finally, after what felt like hours of waiting, handed Logan his glasses. 

“Fantastic, thank you.” Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a class to get to. I’ll see you at 18:00 in the library.” Logan grabbed his phone and rushed out of the apartment.

He hopped into his car, calculating whether or not he’d have time to change his clothing. As he drove, he allowed himself to really think over the events of last night and this morning. He’d fallen asleep, practically hugging Virgil, and woken up pressed against him. A wave of embarrassment washed over Logan, turning his face red. He’d never intended for anything to happen. How did a simple apology turn into him staying over?

But the most shocking revelation was that he wanted that again. He wanted to be that close to Virgil again. He wanted the calm of the stargazing as Virgil rested against him. He wanted Virgil. Oh shit.


	7. Virgil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Logan discovers Virgil can draw.

Virgil sat in his English class, doodling in the margins of his notes. He’d gone to class, but knew he wouldn’t be able to focus. The events of the night before and this morning caused butterflies in his stomach every time he thought about them. He couldn’t stop thinking about Logan. He’d known this guy for only a couple of weeks and he was already hardcore crushing on him.

“Oooh, looks like someone’s in love.” The guy behind him teased. Roman. He was such a theater nerd, but he was one of the cool ones. The guy that everyone knew about and made everyone swoon with a mere glance. He had the biggest ego Virgil had ever come across, and it was disgusting. The guy himself was alright, but his ego was such an issue it was exhausting. Not to mention, Roman’s favourite pastime seemed to be teasing and annoying Virgil, which didn’t make things any better.

Virgil scoffed, “And what would you know about love?”

“Quite a lot, I’ll have you know. So, who’s the special guy?” Roman leaned over, looking at the sketches that Virgil was working on. “LOGAN BERRY?” Roman said in disbelief.

“Just belt it why don’t you!” Virgil hissed, face red, looking around to see if anyone heard.

“Oh my gosh! You seriously LIKE that nerd? He’s so long winded and boring and just so.. ugh.”

“He’s not all bad..” Virgil muttered, hiding the sketches under his jacket sleeve.

“Whatever you say Brad Pittiful. So, how long has this thing been going on?”

“It isn’t a thing..” Not yet anyways.

“Oh? I thought he stayed the night last night.”

“Who the hell told you that!”

Roman smirked. “Patton dropped hints, but you just confirmed it. So, tell me everything. Is he a bottom? I bet he’s a bottom-”

“We didn’t fuck!”

“Uh huh. Sure.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s not even into me anyways..”

“I can find out for you.”

“I know this’ll be hard for you but keep your nose out of this one Romano.”

Roman rolled his eyes, “How many times have I told you not to call me that. Besides, I’m perfectly fine with minding my own business.”

“Just stay out of this one.”

“Whatever you say emo nightmare.”

One of these days he was gonna kill Roman just because of the nicknames. Virgil jumped as the bell rang, then quickly packed his stuff and got the hell outta dodge. He was extremely grateful this was the last class of the day, but having an early end to the day meant that he had two hours to worry about the upcoming study session. This morning it seemed like Logan was upset at him. He probably pushed too hard. Would Logan even show up? He said he would, but he had the whole day to change his mind. Any minute now Virgil would get a text saying that today’s session was cancelled. Or an email, to make it clear that their relationship was entirely professional and nothing more.

Virgil arrived home and immediately went to his sketchbook transferring the sketches he did in class to it. Once he did that, he put on his favourites playlist and began to draw. He zoned out, listening to music and letting his pencils do the work. Adding strokes of graphite here and there, adding shading. Hours flew by and when he’d finished, his wrist and eyes ached. Once he looked at the finished picture, he turned red. He’d just been sketching and ended up drawing a fully fledged scene between him and Logan. Virgil was snuggled up next to Logan as he read, arm around Virgil.

“Jesus Christ I have a problem.” Virgil sighed and checked his watch. 15 past 18:00.

“Shit!” He was supposed to have texted Patton half an hour ago to give him a ride to the library. He’d either have to walk there or take public transportation. He checked his phone, seeing a single text from Logan. 

  
If you aren't here in 20 minutes, I'll assume you aren't coming.  
  


He fumbled with his phone as he dialed Logan’s number.

Logan picked up on the first ring. “Yes Virgil?” Virgil winced at his agitated tone, “I-I’m so sorry I lost track of time I got caught up with something and forgot to set a timer. I can’t get there, in time if I get a ride with Patton.”

Logan was silent for a while. “There’s a park a couple blocks from your dorm, correct?”

Virgil nodded, then remembered Logan couldn’t see him. “Yeah, why..?”

“Meet me there in five. Don’t be late.”

The phone clicked as Logan hung up. Virgil was confused as ever, but wasn’t gonna waste the opportunity for his session today. He quickly grabbed his bag and notebook and practically ran out the door. He arrived before Logan, but utterly out of breath.

“Looks like you do care.” Logan signalled him to follow and walked over to a small set of tables. “Take a seat. We’ll be meeting here today. And possibly from now on, if it means you won’t have to get a ride and therefore will arrive on time.”

Virgil cringed and nodded. “Alright.”

“Alright. Pull out your notes, let’s begin with a quick review.”

Virgil opened his backpack and pulled out his textbook, and then notebook, opening it up to the most recent page… oh fuck.

Logan looked at the page in Virgil’s sketchbook, an eyebrow raised. “Did you draw this?”

“I-I can explain. I was in a rush and must have grabbed my sketchbook-”

Logan adjusted his glasses and took the sketchbook, looking at the drawing. “Mind if I look through the rest?”

“Huh? O-oh, sure..” Virgil said, surprised.

Logan nodded and looked through the rest of the pages. “You’re extremely talented. Have you taken classes?”

“A couple..” Virgil said, not meeting Logan’s gaze. The majority of the latest works in his sketchbook were of him, which definitely didn’t look good.

“It’s impressive. How often do you draw scenes?”

“I… uh, it depends on the mood I'm in..”

“How much do you want for one?”

“What?”

“Well, your art is extremely aesthetically pleasing, as are you, and frankly, my walls need something on them. After seeing your room, I figured I needed something to make them more interesting.”

“You want one of my drawings for your house..?”

“Yes.”

“O-okay.. What do you want me to draw then..?”

“Do you remember the trail we were on last night?”

Virgil nodded.

“I request you draw a collection of constellations arching over a figure of some sort on that trail. I’ll provide the list of constellations for you. Now I ask again, how much do you charge for commissions?”

“I-I’ve never commissioned before..”

“Alright. I’ll give you 40 for the drawing.”

“O-okay.”

“Alright.” Logan smiled slightly, giving the sketchbook back to Virgil. “I’ll let you use my notepad. Let’s begin.”

The session went smoothly as ever, and left Virgil feeling much better about the whole situation. He said goodbye to Logan after the productive hour and went home walking on air. Once he arrived, he taped his loose leaf notes into his actual notebook and sat down to sketch thumbnails for Logan’s request. Just then, Virgil's phone chimed.  
  


  
I couldn't stop thinking about last night. Dinner at Sapphire Cuisine on Sunday. It's a date. Test yes or no.  
  


Virgil picked up his phone and typed his answer, squeezing his eyes shut as he pressed send.

  
Yes.  
  



	8. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Logan prepares for an event.

“Hey, nerd.” Roman appeared suddenly behind Logan, quickly snatching his phone.

“Roman, hand it over.” Logan demanded, adjusting his glasses.

“Sure, just let me text Virgil real quick.”

“No, I will not have you screwing this up.” Logan reached for his phone, glaring at Roman as he danced out of Logan’s reach.  
Roman dodged Logan as he typed. “I couldn’t stop thinking about last night either. Dinner at Sapphire Cuisine on Sunday.”

Logan lunged again, gritting his teeth as Roman dodged once more.

“It’s a date. Text yes or no. SEND!”

“ROMAN!” Logan balled his fist and swung.

Roman ducked, grinning. Then Logan’s phone chimed. “Oh my gosh he said YES!”

“HE WHAT?!”

“Looks like you’ve got a date on Sunday.” Roman grinned.

“What the hell! What am I supposed to do? What do I wear? What do I say? Why the fuck did you have to do that!”

“Because Patton wouldn’t do it.”

“PATTON knows about this too?!”

“He sure does. You know, he’s been trying to get you two together for a while. Looks like my hands on approach worked much better than his subtle nudges.”

Logan ran his fingers through his hair. “Just give me my phone and allow me to clear up this whole situation.”

“Oh HECK no! You’re going on this date, I’m gonna make sure of it.”

“Jesus, Roman. You’re a pain in the ass you prep.”

“So I’ve been told. Now come along, I’ve got to help you pick and outfit. And teach you how to, ya know, socialize properly. Wouldn’t want to have you embarrassing yourself now would we.”

“No,” Logan said, snatching his phone from Roman, “we wouldn't.”

“Alright, alright. Just think about how Virgil would feel if you cancelled the date right after he said yes. Just sleep on it.”

“Fine. If I wait until tomorrow to make him aware of the situation, will you let this go?”

Roman nodded. “You have my word.”

Logan nodded, sighing in defeat. “Good. And now, good day to you.” He walked to his car, driving back home. He could go back on his word and just let Virgil know it was all a misunderstanding, but part of him wanted to go on that date. Part of him was grateful that Roman had done something, because if he hadn’t, Logan himself may have never made a move. Jesus, he needed something to clear his head.

He arrived home, sat at the desk in his study and began to write. The only way to clear his head at this point was to convert all his thoughts into poetry. Then he could read it back in the morning and compare his current thoughts with those he’d have in the morning. He’d be able to come to a logical conclusion. As much as he tried to keep emotion out of his writing, the documentation of his thoughts morphed into him writing about how fascinating and mesmerizing Virgil was.

Logan typed the last line and shut the laptop, placing his glasses upon it and running his fingers through his hair. This was something out of a romantic-comedy. Situations like this didn’t happen in real life. This wasn’t a thing normal people did. Granted, Roman was far from normal, but even still; this was eccentric even for him.

Then, a realization hit Logan. Sunday was only a few days away, but he still had to meet Virgil for their study sessions. Meaning, if he cancelled, there may be tension, and if he went through with it, the air would just be awkward. Either way, the coming days were not looking pleasant any way Logan sliced it. Roman really had backed him into a corner. How did he do that? How did that thespian outsmart HIM? There must be something seriously wrong with the universe for this to happen. It must just be a fluke. There’s no way Roman could really be this devious. It was a fluke. But whatever it was, it was still the situation that Logan was in, and there was no getting out of it any time soon.

“Ugh, I need to sleep this off.” Logan got up and began his nightly routine a few hours earlier than normal. He didn’t enjoy altering his schedule, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to focus on anything long enough to keep him occupied until it was time for him to get ready for the night. Logan showered, brushed his teeth, and settled into bed, continuing to reread his favourite book, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. After successfully getting through one chapter he put it on his nightstand, placed his glasses on top of the book and turned out the lights. For a good while he just started at the ceiling, thinking about the crazy circumstance he was in. Eventually, he fell asleep.

* * *

Logan settled onto the couch, pulling up the page on his laptop. Virgil sat next to him, head on his shoulder.

“What are we reading tonight?” He asked, looking up at Logan.

“Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality, it’s a fanfiction-”

Virgil raised an eyebrow. “Fanfiction? Your taste in books is degrading, hon.”

“And who do you think you are to judge me and my taste in books? You don’t even read, you just listen to audiobooks. And by audiobooks I mean me reading to you.” Logan teased.

“Fine, hit me with it.” Virgil smiled, leaning against Logan, hugging his arm.

“Gladly.” Logan smiled back, kissing Virgil’s forehead. 

And so he began. About halfway through the first chapter, Virgil fell asleep, as per usual. Logan finished up the rest of the chapter on his own, then looked at his partner. He picked him up, carrying him to their bed. He tucked Virgil in, then proceeded to get in himself.

“I love you.” He whispered, snuggling next to Virgil.

“Love you too. Now get some fucking sleep.” Virgil said, smiling as he buried his face in Logan’s chest.

* * *

Logan woke up to his alarm, hugging his spare pillow. He rubbed his eyes, putting on his glasses, trying to slow down his heart. He was sure his face was red and was never more grateful that he lived alone. He got dressed, lightly gelled his hair back, and ate breakfast. Finally, when he had nothing more to distract himself with, he opened his laptop, looking through his writings of last night. Reading what he’d written about Virgil combined with his dream made his heart speed up again, and he couldn’t help but smile. That had to be an indicator. This time he would listen to his emotions. They were telling him to go on that date, and so go he shall. He sighed and walked over to his closet. If he was planning on going out, he’d need to find something more upscale than a polo, necktie, and slacks.

Logan checked the time. He had class in an hour, but could afford to miss it. Attendance wasn’t required, and the entire lesson was posted online. He’d just take the notes during one of his break periods. With that decision made, he made a quick call, then hopped into his car and drove into town. He arrived at the suit shop with about 15 minutes to spare, so he sat in the waiting room, pulling out his phone to look up Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality. It had been on his reading list for a while, but he’d never gotten around to it. Because he couldn’t stop thinking about his dream, he might as well make something productive out of it and begin a new book.

Soon enough, Logan was called into a fitting room and the process began. His measurements were taken and colours chosen. He’d been telling himself he’d get fitted for a suit for a significant amount of time, and now he had an excuse to do so. That, and, part of him wanted to look good for Virgil. The design he settled on was a black three piece suit with a navy blue dress shirt and a cerulean tie with royal blue, midnight blue, and gold stripes. To top everything off, instead of a pocket square, he acquired himself a lapel pin of a human brain; gold to match his tie. He hoped he didn’t overdo it. He would find out in a couple days when the tailor finished the clothing.

Logan walked out of the shop even more excited and nervous than when he walked in. He’d dropped a substantial amount of money on that suit, and though it would be an investment piece, it only solidified his commitment to this date that Roman orchestrated. He took a deep breath, reminding himself that he was here, in the present. But even so, he couldn’t help but think about how things would play out. He really wanted to impress Virgil, and hoped he’d succeed.


	9. Virgil

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Virgil goes on a shopping adventure.

Once he opened the door, he nearly crashed to the floor as Roman burst in, Patton in tow. “Come on you Chemically Imbalanced Romance, we’re going SHOPPING!”

“What..? Why..?” Virgil asked, shaking profusely.

“Because you’re going on a date and you sure as heck aren’t going in that.” Roman said, gesturing to all of Virgil.

“Well, I-wait. You fucking meddled.”

“No, I didn’t. Logan told Patton that he asked you out and then Patton told me. No meddling involved.”

Virgil looked at Patton, who was squirming. “Patton? What really happened?”

“Roman texted you pretending to be Logan! But you said yes, so it’s all okay, right?”

“YOU WHAT?”

“No time to talk, SHOPPING!” Roman said, dragging Virgil to his car.

“What the fuck Roman!” Virgil yelled. “I told you NOT to meddle! And what the fuck do you do, you FUCKING CAFISH ME!”

“It’s not catfishing if the guy you’re pretending to be actually agrees.”

“So. You’re telling me you somehow tricked him into going on a date with me?”

“I didn’t trick him. I just presented the opportunity. Did he turn you down this morning?”

“No..”

“Then, it means he’s going. He was going to cancel, but I told him to think on it. And now, look where we are.”

“Pull over.”

“Excuse me?”

“I said pull over.”

Roman sighed, exasperated, then pulled over. Once he did, Virgil mustered all of his confidence and socked Roman in the face.

“VIRGIL!” Patton chastised. “We don’t hit out friends!”

“He deserved it!” Virgil yelled, rubbing his knuckles. Roman really did have a thick skull.

“Oh my gosh, you broke my nose you-you-”

“I didn’t break it. You’d be in a whole lot more pain if I did. Think twice about meddling in my affairs next time.”

“What have you done! You’ve destroyed my beautiful face! How dare you lay hands on me!”

Virgil rolled his eyes. “Maybe now you can drive me home so you can get cleaned up and I can have a day of peace and fucking quiet.”

“Roman, you can get in the back. I’ll drive you home. And here.” Patton handed Roman a handful of tissues that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.

Virgil pulled out his phone, texting Logan.

  
I know what roman did  
  
You don't have to go on the date if you don't want to  
  


Logan replied quickly.

  
I'll call you in 10.  
  


Virgil was silent the rest of the way to Roman’s house, worrying about what Logan would need to call him for. Patton had agreed to let Virgil stay home for the rest of the day, and just as they were halfway there, Logan called him.

“Hey, Lo-”

“I haven’t cancelled. This is an opportunity I am not going to miss. Roman may have initiated it, but I haven’t, quote ‘cleared the situation up’ unquote. Not to mention, I’ve already begun to prepare for the event. If you decide to cancel, I’ll respect that, but know that I’m committed to this.”

Virgil was speechless.

“Virgil?”

“I’ll see you this evening.”

“Actually, about that. I’ll need as much time as I can to make sure everything’s perfect. That, and I also have classes to attend, so all of my time for extracurriculars has gone to planning this event. Suffice to say, the next few sessions are cancelled. Will you fare?”

“I-I think so..”

“Good. I shall see you on Sunday, then.”

“See you then.”

Virgil hung up, shocked.

“Who was that? What happened?” Patton asked, concerned.

“That was.. Logan.. He actually wants to go on this date..”

“YAY!” Patton squealed. “I’m SO excited!”

“Patton, watch the road!”

“Sorry, buddy. I’m just so happy for you!”

Virgil smiled slightly. “Yeah, I’m happy for me too..”

* * *

Saturday rolled around, and Virgil sat in Roman’s car, in the back this time. After realizing that he had nothing nice to wear, and Roman bugging him about it every time in class, he’d reluctantly agreed to the shopping trip.

“Okay, because I am such a nice person, I’m willing to pay for everything for you.”

“I thought I was just gonna buy a nice shirt and some slacks or something.”

“Oh HECK NO honey! This is a first date, you gotta make an impression! I’m getting you a suit, maybe two so you can switch it up a bit on the second date.”

“First off, we don’t even know if there’ll be a second date. And second, a whole suit seems a bit extra..”

“No, you’re just extremely underwhelming. First stop, jewelry shop. You can’t just wear studs all the time. Besides, you have three piercings, you have room to be extravagant.”

And so the trip began. Roman helped Virgil pick out jewelry, took him to multiple clothing stores to pick out outfits, and then finally to a suit shop to get fitted. But the time the whole adventure was over, it was dark and Virgil was exhausted. It didn’t help that half time time was spent by Roman trying on and buying the things he “absolutely needed,” or chastising Virgil any time he offered his input.

“Thanks Roman.” Virgil sighed, getting out of the car with the multitudes of clothing he’d acquired that afternoon.

“My pleasure. He’s going to love it all. Give me ALL the details when you two are finished. And by all I mean ALL.”

“We’re not gonna-”

“Ta ta!” Roman called as he drove off.

Virgil walked to his dorm, and then began the long process of sifting through the clothing he’d actually wear and the clothing he’d return. After about an hour of that, he’d ended up with a suit, a couple business casual outfits, and an updated version of his current wardrobe. Now came the embellishing. He took out his tie and pocket square and added stitches and the occasional patch to them, as well as a couple lines of stitching on his suit coat. Once that was done, he decided to try everything on, just to see how he looked.

After putting on everything, he looked in the mirror. He looked so unlike himself. He ditched the tie and pocket square, unbuttoning the top two buttons on his plum dress shirt and replacing his dress shoes with platform heels. He put in his black gages, small hoops, and a thundercloud necklace. He then applied black lipstick and black eyeshadow. He took a step back, looking at himself. He smiled, adjusting his suitcoat. For the first time in a while, he felt pretty. He was ready for this date.


	10. Logan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the date ensues.

Logan stood in the waiting room, adjusting his tie and glasses for the fifth time in as many minutes. He checked his watch over and over again. He'd arrived five minutes early and had been waiting for Virgil since. Logan sighed and checked his watch again. 19:00. Just then, Virgil walked through the door, right on time. Logan caught sight of him immediately and couldn't help but stare. He was just so perfect, from his purple hair and black lipstick down to his platform shoes. He was just so... beautiful. Logan’s heart was beating rapidly and he felt himself blushing. What a way to begin the evening.

“Hey.” Virgi said awkwardly.

“Good to see you, too. You’re taller than I. That’s something I wasn’t expecting.”

“A-are the shoes too much? I wanted to add my own style but I think I overdid-”

“You didn’t overdo anything. I think you look fantastic. Now, let us be seated. After you.” Logan gestured for Virgil to step ahead and followed him and the waiter to their reserved table.

Virgil took a seat, fiddling with the stitches on his suitcoat, “So.. uh, you said you planned tonight? What else is on the agenda?”

“Well, nothing too extravagant. The dinner, as you know, is all Roman’s doing. After this I figured we’d just do something classic, like watch a movie.” He explained as he pulled out notecards, hands clammy.

“What are those for..?”

“In case I have nothing to talk about because I’m too busy staring- I-I mean-”

Virgil chuckled slightly. “I’ve never seen you flustered before. It’s as if I’m a jar of Crofters-”

“That was one time.” Logan said sternly, pointing a finger at Virgil. He smiled, grateful for the small break in tension. He’d never been on a date before, much less one so extra. He was afraid he’d underdone it with his preparations, but it seemed to be the opposite. The notecards were definitely overboard.

“So.. Lo.. can-may we go stargazing again sometime soon..?”

“Hm? Oh, I would enjoy that greatly.”

“How about tonight..?”

“Pardon?”

“Well, a movie and then stargazing sounds like a much better date than this fancy dinner. I’m already worried I’m going to find some way to ruin my outfit, and then I’d never hear the end of it from Roman.”

Logan chuckled, “Indeed you wouldn’t. You know, your date plan sounds much better than whatever this may be.” He gestured to the surrounding tables.

Virgil nodded. “Then, do you wanna get out of here?”

“Yes, let’s.”

They both stood, walking out of the restaurant, Logan texting Roman that because he’d initiated the whole situation, he’d be paying the bill. Then, they were off.

“Whose house are we going to?”

“Mine..?” Virgil offered.

“Sure. Though I must ask, is it alright with you if I stop by my house to change? This isn’t as comfortable as what I’m used to.”

Virgil nodded. 

They arrived at Logan’s house, Logan quickly changed whilst Virgil waited in his car, and then they were off to Virgil’s dorm. They arrived and Virgil went to change. He returned to the living room in his usual jacket, black ripped jeans, and a cut up mauve shirt, still bearing his makeup and necklace.

Logan smiled. “I’m not sure how you do it.”

“What do you mean?” Virgil asked, sitting on the opposite side of the couch from Logan.

“You have the ability to look appealing in anything you wear. I think you’d even be able to pull off one of Roman’s outfits.”

Virgil flushed. “I doubt it. But thank you.”

He'd made Virgil flush. Was he doing this right? He hoped he was, but then again, there was a significant amount of space between him and Virgil, so maybe he wasn’t. “A-are you not going to sit closer..?” Logan asked hesitantly.

Virgil, surprised at the awkwardness in his tone, nodded and sat next to Logan. “I.. I didn’t know if you wanted me to.”

“Well, now you know.”

“S-so, what movie are we gonna watch..?”

“I wasn’t sure, and so I thought I’d let you pick.”

“O-oh.. Um.. are you okay if I pick something kinda nerdy..?” Virgil asked.

Logan raised an eyebrow. “Are you genuinely asking me that?”

Virgil smiled sheepishly, “O-okay, then. I kinda wanna watch Monty Python and the Holy Grail..”

Logan smiled, “Sounds like a plan.”

“I’m glad.” Virgil said, pulling up Netflix and putting on the movie.

Logan tried to pay attention, he really did, but when Virgil rested his head on his shoulder, pulling his knees to his chest, Logan lost all semblance of concentration. He reluctantly put his hand around Virgil, and when Virgil didn’t move, rested his head on Virgil’s, experiencing the biggest rush of serotonin he’d ever felt. Halfway through the movie, Logan decided that he wanted to try and make a move. He’d hoped he’d made it clear enough to Virgil that he was asexual, so that things wouldn’t go too far, but he’d wanted to kiss Virgil since he’d seen him at the restaurant. He spent the rest of the movie trying to psych himself up. Eventually, the movie ended and he still hadn’t done anything. Maybe he’d get a chance to when they went stargazing.

Virgil sat up, moving closer to Logan. “Hey, Lo..?”

“Yes..?”

Virgil leaned in, “Can I..?”

Logan nodded, too afraid to say anything for fear of losing his nerve.

Once their lips connected, his whole body seemed to light up. He’d read about situations like this, but had never experienced it before. It felt wonderful, amazing. He didn’t want to let go of Virgil he-

Virgil tried to deepen the kiss, causing Logan to shove him away.

“D-did I do something wrong?” Virgil asked, eyes wide with concern.

“N-no, it’s just.. too far..”

“What..?”

“I.. uhm.. I’m asexual.. And.. that was too far for me. I would have told you earlier, but I’ve never kissed anyone, so I didn’t know how far my limits went. Turns out it’s pretty easy to surpass them..”

“O-oh.. Okay. So, what are you okay with..?”

“I’m okay with physical contact, and maybe the occasional kiss, or peck rather, but nothing more.”

Virgil nodded, “Thanks for telling me.”

Logan smiled, “Thank you for being okay with me.”

Virgil smiled back, “Of course. So.. stargazing..?”

Logan nodded.

“Alright, one second. I need to get something.” Virgil went to the kitchen and came back with a jelly jar. “I thought, since I’ve never tried it before, I can try Crofters. That, and I wanna hear those jelly puns.”

Logan rolled his eyes, “They’re terrible, you honestly don’t. What flavour?”

“Loganberry.” Virgil said, smiling.

“But they-”

“Roman pulled some strings. I have absolutely no idea how, and part of me doesn’t want to know, but now he and I both have a substantial amount of loganberry jelly.”

Logan smiled, “Virgil, I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

Virgil turned red, smiling. “So, stargazing?”

Logan nodded, “Stargazing.”

***

The rest of the night was spent on the mountain, admiring the sky and laughing at each other’s terrible puns. Virgil found out how terrible Logan really was, and would take every chance he had to get him punning again in the future. Logan, on the other hand, was utterly embarrassed, but--and he would never admit this--a small part of him was enjoying himself. Needless, or shall I say, seedless to say, the night went on to be more perfect then either of them imagined.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
